Risky Business: Improving Understanding Of Young People’s Risky Alcohol Consumption, Drug Use And Sexual Behaviour.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$299,564.00
Summary
Increasing numbers of young Australians engage in high-risk alcohol and drug use and sexual behaviour, and experience preventable health outcomes such as injuries, violence and sexually transmitted infections. Despite growing concern, we lack understanding about why young adults take risks, which groups are most at risk, and how different drugs, contexts and settings contribute. Using unique datasets and novel analytical strategies I will generate new knowledge to inform public health responses.
Socioeconomic Variation In Community Risk Profiles Associated With Health And Behaviour Problems In Adolescents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,700.00
Summary
Until recently, emotional and behavioural problems of adolescence have tended to be dismissed as part of the normal turbulence of adolescent development; however, attitudes to adolescent health and health promotion have changed quickly. Downward age-trends in tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use have made adolescents a major target for health promotion. The practical potential for adolescent mental health promotion has gained considerable ground and knowledge of the modifiable determinants of y ....Until recently, emotional and behavioural problems of adolescence have tended to be dismissed as part of the normal turbulence of adolescent development; however, attitudes to adolescent health and health promotion have changed quickly. Downward age-trends in tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use have made adolescents a major target for health promotion. The practical potential for adolescent mental health promotion has gained considerable ground and knowledge of the modifiable determinants of youth mental health problems has been progressed by a growing number of studies examining distal and proximal predictors in community samples. The project plans to comprehensively assess locally elevated risk factors and depressed protective factors predictive of a range of adolescent health and behaviour problems including substance abuse, obesity and depression in 30 communities across three Australian States. These communities will be selected from the entire socioeconomic spectrum to determine how the social context of our neighbourhoods may influence the health and behaviour of adolescents . Surveys of students in grade 6 and year 8 will be conducted. Each participating student will be weighed and measured and asked to complete a questionnaire that assesses a comprehensive range of community risk and protective factors.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101618
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$397,241.00
Summary
Reproducibility and transparency in the synthesis of research findings. This project aims to evaluate the reproducibility and transparency of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the effects of health, social, behavioural and educational interventions. The project expects to determine how reliable, trustworthy, and reusable syntheses of research findings are, and provide critical insight into the education and technical infrastructure needed to improve them. Expected outcomes of the project i ....Reproducibility and transparency in the synthesis of research findings. This project aims to evaluate the reproducibility and transparency of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the effects of health, social, behavioural and educational interventions. The project expects to determine how reliable, trustworthy, and reusable syntheses of research findings are, and provide critical insight into the education and technical infrastructure needed to improve them. Expected outcomes of the project include new methods to enhance open and reproducible research practices in research synthesis, regardless of discipline. This should provide significant benefits beyond the DECRA, such as more credible evidence to inform government policies and professional society guideline recommendations.Read moreRead less
Turning Points: Breaking Intergenerational Cycles Of Intimate Partner Abuse And Social Adversity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,328,354.00
Summary
Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is estimated to affect one in four women at some stage in their lives, and to impact on the lives of at least one million Australian children annually. This study will investigate the extent to which exposure to intimate partner abuse during pregnancy and in the first 12 months postpartum predicts child outcomes in middle childhood. The study will provide foundations for better targeting and tailoring of early intervention strategies to support children at risk of ad ....Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is estimated to affect one in four women at some stage in their lives, and to impact on the lives of at least one million Australian children annually. This study will investigate the extent to which exposure to intimate partner abuse during pregnancy and in the first 12 months postpartum predicts child outcomes in middle childhood. The study will provide foundations for better targeting and tailoring of early intervention strategies to support children at risk of adverse outcomes.Read moreRead less
Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into impo ....Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into important and largely unanswered questions about the way social factors in the first half of life shape our later selves. This study will inform government and health policy targeting ageing populations.
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A Life Course Approach To Understanding Oral Health Inequalities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$269,025.00
Summary
Preadolescent children in Australia have lower rates of dental decay than children in almost all other economically developed countries. This is not the case for Australian adults. In fact, Australian adults aged 35-44 years have higher rates of dental decay than adults of similar age in most other economically developed countries. Not only do Australian adults have comparatively poor oral health in the lead-up to midlife, but also socioeconomic inequalities in dental decay are more pronounced a ....Preadolescent children in Australia have lower rates of dental decay than children in almost all other economically developed countries. This is not the case for Australian adults. In fact, Australian adults aged 35-44 years have higher rates of dental decay than adults of similar age in most other economically developed countries. Not only do Australian adults have comparatively poor oral health in the lead-up to midlife, but also socioeconomic inequalities in dental decay are more pronounced at this stage of life than at any other stage before or after. This study proposes to look at how oral health in young adults in shaped by their experiences across childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. This approach is based on recent evidence that points to the importance to adult health of the early years of life. In this life course perspective, the poorer health of disadvantaged individuals is seen to result from ongoing and cumulative exposure to difficult and disadvantaged circumstances across their life course. This study will trace and follow up a cohort of almost 10, 000 South Australians for whom social, familial, economic and dental behavioural information was collected in 1991-92 when these individuals were aged from five to 15 years. Now aged from 19 to 29 years, these individuals will be invited to attend a dental examination and complete a survey that will provide information on health behaviours and life circumstances shown to be important determinants of general and oral health status. One purpose will be to explore reasons for the comparatively poorer oral health status of Australian adults. A second purpose will be to investigate the magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in oral disease at different life stages. The findings will add to the knowledge of the etiology of oral disease and open up opportunities to develop new methods of oral health promotion based on the understanding of accumulated risk across the life course.Read moreRead less
Improving eating behaviours in low-income communities. The health, economic and social costs of poor nutrition are substantial. The national partnership, the Strategic Inter-governmental Nutrition Alliance, has proposed a strategy, Eat Well Australia, which aims to improve the well-being of Australians through better nutrition. Fruit and vegetable consumption is an important part of a healthy diet. Increasing Australians' fruit and vegetable consumption will substantially cut health care costs, ....Improving eating behaviours in low-income communities. The health, economic and social costs of poor nutrition are substantial. The national partnership, the Strategic Inter-governmental Nutrition Alliance, has proposed a strategy, Eat Well Australia, which aims to improve the well-being of Australians through better nutrition. Fruit and vegetable consumption is an important part of a healthy diet. Increasing Australians' fruit and vegetable consumption will substantially cut health care costs, improve quality of life, and boost Australia's fresh produce industry. Findings will directly inform an evidence base upon which to design appropriate policies and programs aimed at promoting fruit and vegetable consumption in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Read moreRead less
Understanding environmental drivers of socioeconomic inequalities in food consumption. The health, economic and social costs of poor nutrition are substantial. The national partnership, the Strategic Inter-governmental Nutrition Alliance, has proposed a strategy, Eat Well Australia, which aims to improve the well-being of Australians through better nutrition. Improving Australians' diet will cut health care costs, improve quality of life, and promote physical, mental and social functioning. In o ....Understanding environmental drivers of socioeconomic inequalities in food consumption. The health, economic and social costs of poor nutrition are substantial. The national partnership, the Strategic Inter-governmental Nutrition Alliance, has proposed a strategy, Eat Well Australia, which aims to improve the well-being of Australians through better nutrition. Improving Australians' diet will cut health care costs, improve quality of life, and promote physical, mental and social functioning. In order to improve diet, particularly among those who are disadvantaged, a better understanding of the environmental drivers of inequalities in food consumption is required. Findings will inform the development of policies to increase the availability and accessibility of foodstuffs to supply an adequate and affordable diet for all.Read moreRead less
Socioeconomic inequality and diet: a multilevel study of why socioeconomic groups differ in their food purchasing behaviours. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups experience higher mortality and morbidity rates for many chronic diseases (e.g. heart disease and type 2 diabetes). Dietary quality, and factors affecting this such as food purchasing choice, play a key role in the onset and progression of these types of diseases, and the lower quality diets of families from disadvantaged backgrounds ....Socioeconomic inequality and diet: a multilevel study of why socioeconomic groups differ in their food purchasing behaviours. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups experience higher mortality and morbidity rates for many chronic diseases (e.g. heart disease and type 2 diabetes). Dietary quality, and factors affecting this such as food purchasing choice, play a key role in the onset and progression of these types of diseases, and the lower quality diets of families from disadvantaged backgrounds contribute to their poorer health. This Project will determine why socioeconomic groups differ in their food purchasing behaviours, by examining the influence of environmental and individual-level factors. Project findings will increase our understanding about socioeconomic differences in diet, and inform public policy, health policy, and health promotion.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100660
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,731.00
Summary
Simulating social networks to understand how neighbourhood factors influence health. Where you live and who you know has implications for your health. This study will use social network models to understand how social characteristics of neighbourhoods influence health. The new insights gained will help policy makers to develop better strategies for reducing health inequalities and improving health outcomes.